A widely employed technique in the manufacture of semiconductor devices is the bonding of a semiconductor chip to an array of lead wires. According to one prior art approach, lead wire arrays are incorporated in film or tape strips adapted for bonding to chips. Frames are commonly utilized to carry, hold, and transport the strips during the aforesaid operation. The frames insure precise alignment of the strip to the chip so that the lead wire and chip contacts will engage and secure properly.
Exemplary of frame or carrier devices which have been used for such purpose are those disclosed in the following U.S. Pats.: U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,479, issued to Kowalski; U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,496, also issued to Kowalski; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,611, issued to Clark.